HSMAI South Florida Names Recipients of Its Annual Dr. Peter Ricci Scholarship at Their 2023 Annual GALA

HSMAI South Florida continued the awarding of its annual Dr. Peter Ricci Scholarship at the 2023 Annual GALA held at the Margaritaville Resort in Hollywood, Florida on October 30, 2023. Professor Greg Bohan, Instructor in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), accompanied by Karima Lanfranco, Hospitality Management Professor and Program Coordinator at Lynn University took to the stage to present...

HSMAI South Florida continued the awarding of its annual Dr. Peter Ricci Scholarship at the 2023 Annual GALA held at the Margaritaville Resort in Hollywood, Florida on October 30, 2023. Professor Greg Bohan, Instructor in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), accompanied by Karima Lanfranco, Hospitality Management Professor and Program Coordinator at Lynn University took to the stage to present checks to three students: Lauren Dwen (Lynn), Ariana Bukovac (FAU) and Aiden Lake (FAU).

This scholarship fund, created by HSMAI South Florida former president Carmen Ackerman, was designed to provide educational funds for students pursuing degrees at either undergraduate or graduate levels in hospitality, tourism, or culinary across South Florida’s various institutions of higher learning. Dr. Ricci was singled out for the naming of this scholarship honor based on his years of service to HSMAI, his passion for education and his experience in the hospitality industry.

Students can apply and receive funding based upon the merit of their application, their personal achievements, and their career goals. The career interests must align with HSMAI in the areas of hospitality sales, marketing, or revenue management including ancillary areas of eCommerce, digital marketing, travel product/service distribution, personal sales, and related niche segments.

About Dr. Peter Ricci

Dr. Peter Ricci is the Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). He has over 40 years of industry and teaching experience in the hospitality industry from the ages of 14-56. Feel free to reach out by email or on LinkedIn.

About HSMAI

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry's leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through annual programs such as the Commercial Strategy Conference and Adrian Awards. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with over 30 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at hsmai.org.

About Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit fau.edu.

About FAU Hospitality and Tourism Management Program

The hospitality and tourism management program at FAU is one of only a select handful nationally to be housed in an accredited college of business administration. The college of business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Both the undergraduate BBA and graduate MBA programs in hospitality and tourism management combine 21st century core business coursework along with a hospitality-specific curriculum dedicated to the needs of today's workforce. The program is among the 30 Best Hospitality Programs in the United States (https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-hospitality-degree-programs/).

Human Resources Human Resources General Management USA & Canada United States Florida

HSMAI is a global organization of sales, marketing, and revenue management professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI leads the way in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry. Operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and for sales, marketing, and revenue management disciplines, HSMAI connects its members with customers.

A new and innovative curriculum in the College of Hospitality Management allows students to concentrate studies within the fastest-growth segments of hospitality: Resort and Hotel Management, Vacation Ownership/Timeshare Management, and Sports and Recreation Management.

Welcome to the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program, located in the Department of Marketing, within the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University. The program prepares students for management positions in multiple segments of the world’s largest service industry. Upon completion, graduates enjoy various professional roles in a variety of industries including: resorts, hotels, restaurants, private clubs, meeting and event planning...